25 Common Foods That Can Be Toxic for Your Pet

Click Here to link to a page of 25 common household items that can lethal to the pets you love. I have no affiliation with the author or website, but thought it would be good to share as it is so important to know that there are everyday items in our homes, that can turn what was supposed to be a great day at home snuggling with our pets to a nightmare at the veterinary emergency room. 

25 Common Foods That Can Be Toxic for Your Pet

Need to know more about de-skunking?

See Dr. Kim Bloomer's bark n blog for some ideas of natural ways to get rid of those skunky smells from your pet. Want to know if tomato juice really works??? Want to know what the professionals use when searching for a safe remedy when a skunk dog comes across their salon? Read the thoughts from Dr. Kim Bloomer, Natural news, and well, ....me.

http://www.bark-n-blog.com/2009/03/16/natural-de-skunk-methods/#more-3050

Tear Stains, pH Levels & ACV

Tear staining is something dog groomers definitely see on a regular basis. Most of the time, from a groomers perspective, it is the same shave out in the corner of the eyes on every 4 to 6 week groom. Most pet owners do not realize they themselves have the power, and most likely the remedies at home to take charge of their pets overall health. It just takes a little education that's all.

Tear staining is caused for any number of reasons which first must be diagnosed by a veterinarian. It is necessary to understand what you are first dealing with. The idea is to take a holistic approach to the problem, and not to just cover the problem with a temporary fix. First of all, lets take a look at just a few of the reasons why tear staining can pose to be a problem as stated in snippets from the Merck / Merial Manual for Pet Health.

Eyelash Abnormalities:

Extra eyelashes or misdirected eyelashes on the edge of the eyelid can cause watering eyes, development of blood vessels in the cornea, and slow healing sores and scarring in the cornea. If extra lashes are causing damage, or sticking out through the back of the eyelid causing pain, it may be necessary to discuss surgical options with your veterinarian.

Inflammation of the Eyelids:

Can result from generalized inflammation of the skin, inflammation of the conjunctiva, local glandular infections, or environmental irritants. Fungi, mites, and bacteria can infect the eyelids which can lead to a generalized inflammation. Eye Inflammations of this nature requires a whole body therapy. Hmmm. What a concept isn't it? To look at the "whole" dog. This should probably be done for any case realistically.

Tear Duct Inflammation:

This can be caused by obstruction of the tear sac and the attached nasal tear duct by inflammatory debris, foreign objects, or masses pressing on the duct. It results in watering eyes and conjunctivitis that is resistant to most treatment, and occasionally a draining opening in the middle of the lower eyelid. If there is an obstruction of the duct, a simple flushing of saline solution or sterile water may unblock it.

Now, back to a groomers world and point of view. I feel aside from the above stated that this can also be a cause of a unbalanced pH system along with unbalanced diet, as well as genetics. I have seen tear stains reversed and cleared, or at the very least better alleviated when approached with a sense of love and healing to care for the "whole dog". I will share some natural home remedies that can easily fit right with some love and caring for your dogs overall health .

First things first. Lets take a good look at what you are feeding your dog. Is it from your everyday local pet store? Chances are, if it is, there is not much you can tell me that will convince me you are feeding your dog a nutritious and balanced diet. Pet foods with color additives and certain fillers will stain the mouth area and excrete through the tear ducts. Even those "expensive" and "natural" foods. As commercial pet food and pet diets is a whole different topic on its own, I will leave you with a great book to read for your own learning pleasure. There is a new and updated third edition by Ann N. Martin called 'Food Pets Die For, Shocking Facts about Pet Food'. A great read, and should be in every pet owners home. My opinion regarding diet is to look at a natural fed diet, preferably a raw diet. If that is not possible, home cooked is probably next best. There are lots of websites and group forums that dedicate interest to raw, natural and cooked canine diets. I suggest to try google search for information, and check out yahoo group forums. I would like to suggest this group as an excellent place to start learning about canine nutrition. http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalHealthCareForDogs/ This group is owned and moderated by 2 veterinary naturopaths and canine nutritionists.

Minerals in water:

Avoid hard water and any tap water. Opt for purified or spring water. Minerals in the water may stain other areas too. Such as facial hair, or anywhere where the water drips. Use a stainless steel bowl as to properly sterilize on a regular basis. Well, so far we have addressed the common things to consider as possible effects of tear staining. Genetics also plays a role, but can still be at least alleviated.

Most Products Are Hype:

As a professional groomer, we have lots of products that promise results of eliminating tear stains. Let me be the one to break the news first. Its mostly hype. As they do help a little bit but only if done on a very regular basis, they are just another product to cover up a symptom. Just like most pet shampoos out there. Or like beauty creams for humans. It does very little or nothing if used alone. Just like humans, beauty starts on the inside for the effects to take place on the outside. What we put into our as well as outside our bodies affects our largest external organ, ....... our skin. Same applies for animals. This brings me to mention the importance of balancing our body system.

pH Levels:

We addressed the need for proper nutrition. Now it is very important we balance the dogs pH level. A dogs normal range for canine pH level should be between 5.5 - 7.2

Shampoos used for grooming should be pH balanced for dogs but that can still be altered when diluted with water. This is also another reason why human shampoos should not be used on animals as human pH levels are different. The greater the shampoo dilution ratio, the closer the resemblance to the waters pH. If your water pH level varies greatly, a water softener can help control the and monitor chemicals, minerals, and microorganisms. Otherwise unbalanced levels can upset the natural, healthy flora of the dog's skin.

Now how do we do this on the inside? And help with tear stains at the same time?

We need something to help neutralize acid and alkaline. Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (aka: ACV) has been known to have many health benefits to humans and animals. Including balancing proper pH Levels. Balancing pH Levels for your canine will not only help eliminate tear stains, but prevent sickness, disease, and parasites while restoring vitality, energy, and elasticity to skin. Yes! This is good for you too! You can read up more on the health benefits of organic apple cider vinegar by google searching, or reading 'The Healing Powers of Vinegar' by Cal Orey. Braggs also has a book of his own or you can check out their website at www.bragg.com

Here is the daily recommended dosage to add to your dog's purified water or spring water for a healthy pet tonic. For dogs with skin sensitive yeast allergies, opt for white distilled vinegar over ACV.

1 tsp. ACV for cats or small dogs up to 14lbs.

2 tsp. ACV for dogs 15 to 34 lbs.

1 tbsp. ACV for dogs 35 to 84 lbs.

Adjust more or less if necessary.

Natural Antibiotic, Colloidal Silver:

Colloidal Silver is a powerful, natural antibiotic and infection preventative. When an antibiotic is necessary, do your homework on CS. CS disables the oxygen enzyme for single celled pathogens such as viruses, fungus or bacterium. Within minutes the pathogen suffocates and dies. What makes CS differ from pharmaceutical antibiotics is that CS does not destroy beneficial tissue celled enzymes as they are different from the enzymes of that of single celled life. This makes CS a good choice for humans, animals, plants and multi-celled matter. As with anything, moderation is the key. It is in my opinion that CS should only be taken when a natural antibiotic is needed, and not for a daily use. CS can be purchased in a dark spray bottle, and can be directly sprayed to open eyes of the animal. I would spritz the eyes twice a day for 3 days up to two weeks depending on the case. Refer to your holistic vet for a proper dosage. Out of personal experience, CS has worked great for my pet rats when needed for eye or eye/respiratory infections. Be sure to buy top quality grade and pure Colloidal Silver, and avoid buying the cheap stuff. Natural antibiotics is also another topic deserving of its own blog focus, so I would do your google homework! And as always, check with your holistic veterinarian.

In Conclusion:

What can you expect by following the above natural health protocals just to rid of tear stains? Excluding the use of CS, here are a few things.

1. Less to zero ear infections
2. No Fleas!
3. Less dermatological problems
4. No body odor
5. Ideal body weight
6. More energy
7. Higher Immunity Levels
8. Healthier coat
9. a Happier dog
10. and LESS TO ZERO TEAR STAINS!

This article is for educational purposes only and not meant to replace veterinary care or diagnose or prescribe for medical problems.

References: Braggs book on ACV, The Healing Powers of Vinegar, Merck/merial Manual for Pet Health, apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com, all-natural.com, ISCC Super Coats Module.

Natural Flea Prevention and Shampoos

Spring will soon be coming and that means so will the fleas. Many people are still unsure of what they need to do to rid their dog of fleas. Many also do not realize that diet plays a large role in flea infestation. It is very important to be sure your dog is getting the right amounts of supplementation and nutrition they need, many of which do not due to a lone diet of commercial dog food. Commercial dog food is not a complete enough food, even if the bag says it is. Can you get all your nutritional needs met eating out of a bag or out of a can every day? How about dehydrated food? That is no better either. The pet food market is now advertising a nutritionally complete dehydrated pet food. To date, there is no such of a commercial pet food that is 100% complete in meeting all of your pets nutritional needs. All commercial pet food needs supplementation. All of it. Even those "premium" brands you find at the pet stores. It is like when we take our daily vitamins. Dogs need that too. A very good supplement that I used is by Pet Togethers. It is also endorsed by Dr. Shawn Messonnier. I myself had excellent results using this particular supplement on my cat. You can learn more about Pet Togethers at thier website at http://pettogethers.com/
Bottom line, a good diet full of nutrients and immunity building defenses means your dog's chances of contracting fleas has been significantly reduced. This also helps reduce allergy inflammations, aids in healthy skin while giving a real nice sheen on your dog's coat.

The House of Fleas and Natural Disinfecting Carpet Powder

Fleas will hide everywhere. In carpeting, base boards, pet bedding, sofas, any open crevices you have you can bet the fleas will find. Vacuuming is crucial and it is not a bad idea to use 1 cup of cornmeal mixed with 1 cup borax, and 1/2 cup of baking soda in an old parmesian cheese jar. Shake it up and then add about 10 drops of Purification Essential Oil blend. Shake again. This is a natural disinfectant that will help prevent more fleas from coming while naturally freshening your carpeting, and pet beds. Allow to sit overnight if possible, and at the least 30 minutes before vacuuming. Place a herbal flea collar in your vacuum bag before vaccuuming. See suggestions below. Rid your house of the flea bag immedietly after use.

You can make a chemical free flea insecticide to fit into your vacuum bag. This can be made by rubbing a few drops of Eucalyptus Essential Oil to a rope cut to your desired length. The Essential Oil of Eucalyptus Globulus is registered as an insecticide and insect repellant that rates as slightly toxic. Although I disagree completely that a Therapuetic Grade A Oil is toxic and I don't know who says it is either. This is just what I have read in another reference book. Although I believe it can be toxic only when made with other superficial ingredients. I believe toxicity comes in the making and its a high possibility Eucalyptus oil that has been cut and mixed with synthetics to be the cause of allergic reactions and irritations.

Essential Oil Insect Repellant

Clean your house often with your favorite essential oils or my recommendation of Thieves Essential Oil Blend, or Thieves Household Cleaner. Also, spray your house often! Spray with what you ask? Essential Oils ofcourse! Essential oils naturally repel fleas and other external parasites. You can make your own repellant with this easy recipe.

10 drops of Citronella Oil
10 drops of Purification Oil Blend
10 drops of Eucalyptus Oil
10 drops of Pepperment Oil
Mix in a 8 ounce spray bottle with water. Spray as needed.

The Fleas Backyard

Be sure to water and mow your lawn regularly. Short grass permits the sunlight to heat up the soil and kills any flea larvae that may be secreted in it. Water will help drown them. Get some agricultural lime and pour 1 cup cayenne pepper to every gallon of lime. Mix well and spread evenly over your lawn. Agricultural lime is a soil additive made from pulverized limestone or chalk. The primary active component is calcium carbonate. Additional chemicals vary depending on the mineral source and may include calcium oxide, magnesium oxide and magnesium carbonate.

Wikipedia reference for agricultural lime
Effects on soil:

it increases the pH of acidic soil (the higher the pH the less acidic the soil)
it provides a source of calcium for plants
it permits improved water penetration for acidic soils

Lime may occur naturally in some soils but may require addition of sulfuric acid for its agricultural benefits to be realized. Gypsum is also used to supply calcium for plant nutrition. In livestock farming, hydrated lime can be used, as a 'disinfectant' measure, producing a dry and alkaline environment, in which bacteria do not readily multiply.

Spinner style lime spreaders are generally used to spread agricultural lime on fields. Several companies such as Stoltzfus Spreaders manufacture spreaders for this purpose.

Finally, what about the fleas that found a home on my dog???

Truth be told, ANY shampoo will kill fleas if left on long enough to suffocate them. But you see, thats the trick. You must be sure you suffocated them and not stunned them. And certain ingredients do help in promoting that factor, but not all dogs can take any shampoo. Different types of skin and coat cause for different types of shampoo. Animals have different needs too. If you color treat your hair and its prone to dryness, you would not want to use a shampoo that is to strip the natural oils you need. You would need a hydrating or moisture adding shampoo. The same applies for animals. Especially in my opinion the Shetland Sheepdogs and Collies. They are very prone to dryness and their skin is very sensitive to irritants. Lots of them even have dry and brittle hair. It is essential that dogs who suffer from dry skin and brittle hair get supplements of Flax and Fish. Both of which can be added to their food in liquid form.

You can take a Hypo-Allergenic shampoo and add your own blends of Essential oils, but you must be sure to dilute properly and these oils wont be too strong for your dogs skin. Its so much better than using pyrethrins and other toxic substances found in over the counter flea products. I suggest Animal Scents Shampoo. It takes all the guess work out of a safe flea shampoo as well as being able to be used as a regular shampoo. Animal Scents shampoo is designed to clean all types of animal fur and hair and is also has insect repelling and killing properties. It is designed to rid hair of lice, ticks, and other insects. Ingredients are saponified coconut and olive oil, glycerin, guar gum, aloe vera, rosemary extract, and Essential Oils of Citronella, lavandin, lemon, geranium, and spikenard.

How do you properly bath a dog that has fleas?

First of all, you need to realize that the moment you spray your dog with water, those fleas are jumping for cover. They will try to hide in any orifice available. The best way to prevent fleas from hiding during a flea bath is to apply a small amount of Animal Scents shampoo on your DRY dog around thier neck, under paw pads, over the anus, and ears. Then water your dog down with a luke-warm temperature and massage in Animal Scents shampoo well into skin and coat. Apply more shampoo as needed. Leave on for 10 minutes. Be careful not to have shampoo get into your pets eyes. Rinse well and be sure to rinse your dog's private areas and stomach well as those areas are often missed being rinsed good. Repeat if desired. But if done correctly, one shampoo should be sufficient.

More information about Young Living Essential Oils in a PDF booklet. Too good not to share.

http://www.youngliving.us/pdfs/everyday_oils_booklet.pdf

Ear Wash With Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils

While I am at work, I have an ear wash that I found from a site that works really well. I have since then made some of my own formulations, but this one sticks out to be one of my favorites for its therapeutic quality and its ingredients are good for almost every dog.  Botanical based products such as the recipe I am about to share is safer to use and has natural healing abilities. I do not like to use commercial based ear cleaners due to the alcohol and chemical based ingredients knowing the damages it can do to canine ears. Alcohol alone can be very damaging to the ears and can even damage the ear canal. Using ear grooming products that contain alcohol in the formula can inflame, irritate, and swell already infected or sensitive ears not to mention it would sting a little. And why bother with other ingredients that can be toxic to your pet?

This remedy is different. The ingredients are excellent as they offer real therapeutic benefits to help your dogs ears stay healthy. The best ingredients being the organic apple cider vinegar and essential oils. This is a remedy I use almost on a daily basis as well as what I taught to the students at the grooming school. It cleans the ear well, mildly fragrant, and in some cases has reversed appeared signs of ear infections. I strongly encourage my students and clients to try this ear wash to prevent unwanted vet visits and before spending money on needless products at the vet. This recipe will cost the investment of the ingredients, but you save in the long run as it makes so much. You can even bring it to your groomer to use instead of their brand. Some of these ingredients are probably in your home. I will explain the benefits of the ingredients as well the grades of oils used after the listing of the recipe. Just to note here; I only use and recommend Young Living Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils. I do not advise the use of other oils as it could be potentially dangerous due to the fact it may cause more harm than intended good. Other oils that are NOT 100% Therapeutic Grade are cut with synthetics. Even those oils labeled 100% Pure only can be labeled as such with only 5% essential oil. I will explain a little more about quality shortly.

Ear Wash with Essential Oils
1 Cup Organic Aloe Juice (can be purchased at your local natural health food store)
1 Cup Witch Hazel ( Be sure to avoid Witch Hazel mixed with alcohol as found in general stores. Ask your local health food store for witch hazel with no alcohol)
3 TBLS Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
5 Drops Young Living Therapeutic Grade Lavender Essential Oil
10 Drops Young Living Therapeutic Grade Melrose Essential Oil Blend ( Melrose contains essential oils of Rosemary, Tea Tree, Clove, and Niaouli)

Mix the ingredients well and use generously as a flush for very dirty ears, or on a cotton ball for everyday ear cleaning. Your dog may shake his head some which will release the dirt and debris. It is not uncommon to have dirt loosen up throughout the day after a flush. Wipe ears out with a clean towel or with a cotton ball. Ok, now on to the good stuff. Here I will explain why these ingredients are awesome and the differences in essential oils.

Here are the essential oil quality basics for you.
Pure- This oil was not diluted with a lesser quality oil, but may have been cut with other ingredients. Pure also does not mean there are no chemicals added. In the USA, it is only required to have 5% essential oil in the bottle to label it "pure".
Natural- This only means the oils has not been adulterated with vegetable oils, propylene glycol, SD alcohol or other chemicals.
Complete- Oil is distilled at low temperature and pressure. They are not rectified or purified. Essential oils that are that are re-distilled lose therapeutic properties.
Grade A, Genuine & Authentic- These are the highest quality oils you can buy. Seeds are not from hybrids and are only grown in organic chemical free soil. Plants are not treated with chemicals either. Extreme care is taken in the making of these oils and its the closest to nature as you can get. They use a steam distilled process at low temperature and low pressure. Chemicals are never used in the process. The proper amount of time is also given to distill to keep the therapeutic properties. The faster the distillation process, the lower the quality of the oil. Distillers must also pass Gas Chromatograph readings with an embossed seal other than from their own labs.

Young Living Essential Oils are 100% Therapeutic Grade A Oils

Ingredients Benefits
Aloe Juice has soothing and healing properties for skin irritations, cuts, burns, and yet is very gentle and mild.
Witch Hazel helps soothe itchy and inflammed skin, including dermatitus. Witch hazel also adds a protective layer over the skin which allows skin to heal, reduces itching, and naturally alleviates pain due to scratching.
Apple Cider Vinegar controls bad bacteria growth and other microorganisms that can cause infections.
Lavender Essential Oil has properties of being anti-septical and a anti-fungal healing agent while aiding in the prevention of eczema and minor hair loss.
Melrose Essential Oil Blend- Contains a blend of Rosemary, Melaleuca, Naouli, and Clove. Together, they are a combination of anti-septical, anti-fungal, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral medicinal properties.
I hope this helps in the prevention of unnecessary vet visits, and has educated you to explore more into natural healing.

For purchasing Organic Aloe Juice, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and Witch Hazel, you can check your local health food store such as Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Wild Oats, Fruitful Yield or any other health store in your area.

References: essentialoilremedies.com, goldenacresdogs.com, apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com, Natural Cures and Gentle Medicines, Essential Oils Desk Reference third edition